Car Air Freshener Line Targets Men with Scents, Delivery, Packaging

Although men typically fall behind women as the intended target in most consumer products categories, some marketers are beginning to creatively target men in advertising and product design. Axe and Old Spice both have created messaging designed to help men embrace their aromatic manliness, and now HandStands, a manufacturer of car air fresheners, is about to launch a line of products with scents and delivery methods designed specifically for the male demographic.

Called Driven by Refresh Your Car, the automotive air-freshener fragrances line is packaged in technology- and mechanically inspired containers, including an angular, LED-lit Visor Clip (pictured) that delivers scents every 15 minutes through a motorized fan. In addition, the line’s BackStage Pass puts a twist on rearview-mirror hanging paper fragrances with aggressively artistic designs, and the Vent Sticks product incorporates a masculine look, with tire-tread finishes on the device.

“The term metrosexual has given way to a Chuck-Norris-would-use-this attitude, making male grooming products more universally accepted and desired,” said Dale Erling, HandStands director of marketing. “As part of his personal environment, a man’s car is a reflection of his style and personal brand. With the Driven collection, we’re giving him novel, attention-worthy scents and gadgets that are as cool as they are effective.”

The line’s Vortex Diffuser has a Transformers-like tire design that features a rotating cylinder with three membranes surrounding a scent-filled chamber. The cylinder can be twisted to release fragrances in varying strengths. The line also includes a 12-volt plug-in that inserts into a vehicle’s DC outlet, gel cans designed to slip into a car’s cup holder or beneath the seat, and an aerosol-propelled spray packaged in brushed aluminum packaging.